1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to emergency and disaster relief shelters, specifically to temporary or permanent housing in the general form of a geodesic dome that can be easily transported by helicopter to an emergency or disaster relief site even when roads are not passable or available, can be easily and quickly constructed and disassembled, is made from materials that do not mold or burn, and can be stored in a very small space when not assembled.
2. Description of the Related Art
For family shelter during and after emergencies and disaster relief, the United States government currently uses trailers each costing between $50,000 and $100,000. Disadvantages of such trailers include their high cost, the large amount of storage space they require when not in use, and the fact that roads are needed to transport them to an emergency or disaster site. In contrast, the present invention is in the kit form and compactly stored when not in use. Approximately twenty-four 600-square-foot unassembled present invention geo shelter kits can be stored in the footprint of one U.S. government emergency trailer, such as an 8-foot by 32-foot travel trailer. Also, each present invention panel used to assemble one of the domes weighs approximately one-and-one-half pounds, allowing one Blackhawk helicopter to lift approximately nine present invention kits (each for the assembly of a 600-square foot present invention dome) at once for transport to a disaster site, and the cost for each present invention geodesic dome shaped shelter kit is only about twenty percent of that of a new U.S. government emergency trailer. As the present invention panels clip together, no tools are needed for assembly of the present invention temporary geo shelters. However, should a panel need to be removed for repair or replacement, a small tool may be used to pop open the clips holding it in place and release the panel in need of repair or replacement. In addition, the panels are made of composite and extruded materials that do not mold or burn, an advantage over the U.S. government trailers, and it only takes about two hours to open a present invention kit and use it to assemble a 600-square-foot shelter. Although present invention geodesic dome shaped shelters can be used as a source of temporary housing, they can also be constructed on (and anchored to) an appropriate foundation and used as permanent housing. No other temporary shelter for emergencies and disaster relief is known that functions in the same manner as the present invention, has the same structure disclosed herein, or provides all of its important advantages.